Our Church
It all began with the visit of Triple Blessedness His Holiness Late Pope Shenouda III and a multitude of bishops to Australia in 1989. During their visit, they inspected a piece of land in the area of Hallam of an approximate area of 46 acres. A project was proposed for the land consisting of a Church, a Hostel and a Coptic Village. When His Holiness inspected the land, he saw a shed in the midst of the land that was used for feeding cattle. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III did the sign of the cross on that shed and said “this manger will become a Church by the grace of the Lord.” During His Holiness second visit to Melbourne in 1991, he announced that he would like to ordain some youth for priesthood to serve in Australia. Thus His Holiness selected one person from Melbourne to be nominated for priesthood, and that was Fr. Abanoub, along with three others from Sydney. They all travelled to Egypt on the 13th of February 1991. His Holiness received them in St. Bishoy Monastery in his private residence. The ordination took place on the 28th of March 1991 by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III accompanied by a multitude of bishops who blessed the ordination.
During the year 1992, His Holiness sent a message asking us to establish a Church in the area of the Coptic Village. At the time, there was no place where we could pray. So a hall was rented on James Cook Drive in Endeavour Hills every Saturday night and Sunday till midday. We would set up the hall as a Church: put up the chairs, the altar and the holy board. We continued to pray there for around a period of 6 months. The purpose of that was to gather the congregation and the people start feeling that there is a new Church. We also selected the name of the Church to be in the names of the great martyrs St. Mina and St. Marina. On Friday the 9th of April 1993, we prayed the last mass in the rented hall. Then, on Sunday the 11th of April 1993, we moved to the new location which was the temporary shed that His Holiness Pope Shenouda III had blessed. We started to pray in the new Church and to work on that new location.
His Holiness visited Melbourne again in 1993 and he laid the foundation stone of the large proposed Church on Saffron drive in Hallam; this took place in September 1993. During that time, the congregation was still growing. In addition to the people coming to Church quite regularly, newcomers were joining the Church all the time. In 1999, Fr. Isaac El Antony came to serve in Melbourne at St Mina and St Marina Church. He served there till 2004. Also the Church had the blessing of Fr. Daniel El Antony who served with us for a period of 6 months followed by Fr. Moussa El Antony who joined us for 6 months till March 2005.
Since the enthronement of His Grace Bishop Suriel in 1999, the Church continued to flourish. We continued to pray in what we called the Arabic Church which was the small shed that His Holiness had blessed. The congregation had outgrown the space way before the year 2000. Thus we started, during the feast of St Mina on the 24th of November 2000, digging for the foundation of the new Church; a bigger Church. We would do the first stage which would be the Church downstairs and then build the upstairs Church in due time. On the 6th of January 2002, we had finished completing the beautiful Church downstairs and His Grace Bishop Suriel prayed the Divine Liturgy for Christmas on the evening of the 6th of January 2002. At this stage, the downstairs Church was complete with all the icons in the same way present now. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III next visit was on the 23rd of November 2002; we were blessed by having His Holiness consecrate the Church, the altar and all the beautiful icons that are here today that were painted by the great iconographer Ashraf Fayek.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, born on November 4, 1952, in Mansoura City, is a distinguished figure in the religious and academic community. He completed his education at the University of Alexandria, earning a degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy in 1975. Subsequently, he embarked on a professional career, holding a managerial position at a pharmaceutical factory in Damanhur. In 1985, His Holiness augmented his academic credentials by obtaining a fellowship in world health from England, and in the same year, he was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Theological College in Alexandria.
His spiritual journey deepened in 1986 when he joined the St. Bishoy Monastery. He took his monastic vows in 1988, adopting the name Theodor El-Anba Bishoy. His ordination as a priest occurred in 1989, and he subsequently dedicated his service in Damanhour from 1990 to 1997 under the guidance of His Eminence Metropolitan Bakhomious of Al-Beheira. On June 15, 1997, he was elevated to the rank of General Bishop, serving as an Assistant Bishop to Metropolitan Bakhomious.
Apart from his ecclesiastical responsibilities, His Holiness is an accomplished author, having penned 12 books on Christian Theology. A significant milestone in his spiritual journey was reached on November 4, 2012, coinciding with his 60th birthday. On this day, by divine selection through the Altar Ballot, he was chosen as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. His formal enthronement occurred on November 18, 2012.
In September 2017, His Holiness embarked on a landmark inaugural visit to Australia, where he bestowed his blessings upon the Diocese, marking a significant event in the history of our Diocese.
Our Pope
His Grace Bishop Rewis was appointed as General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne by Papal Decree No. 2 of 2025, issued and signed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. This appointment, effective 1 July 2025, marks a moment of great joy and blessing for the Diocese.
His Grace entered monastic life on 7 March 2001 at the historic Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (Muharraq Monastery) in Assiut, Egypt, where he was tonsured as Fr Zosima El Muharraqi. Following his monastic consecration, His Grace served with distinction in the United States, the Scandinavian countries and the Philippines, undertaking pastoral and missionary responsibilities that were marked by dedication, humility and spiritual wisdom.
On 7 March 2021, His Grace was ordained as a General Bishop for East Asia by the blessed hands of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. Throughout his episcopal ministry, he has continued to deepen his knowledge and capacity for church leadership. In addition to his pastoral experience, His Grace has also pursued formal studies in Church Management, equipping him with the administrative and strategic skills necessary to guide and oversee the growing needs of a diverse and dynamic Diocese.
In January 2025, the Diocese of Melbourne was blessed by a pastoral visit from His Grace, during which clergy and laity experienced his spiritual warmth, guidance and genuine pastoral care. The visit left a lasting impression on the hearts of many and affirmed his suitability to lead the Diocese into a new chapter of unity and growth.
His Grace’s appointment reflects the ongoing pastoral care and attentiveness of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, who continues to support the Diocese with wisdom, love and vision. This decision affirms the commitment of the Church to nurturing faithful leadership for the spiritual wellbeing of its people.
As General Bishop of the Diocese of Melbourne, His Grace Bishop Rewis has been entrusted with the full pastoral, administrative and financial authority of the Diocese, as delegated by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. In this role, His Grace is responsible for overseeing the spiritual life of the clergy and congregation, guiding the operational and organisational structure of the Diocese, and ensuring sound stewardship of its financial and material resources.
General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne
Journey Through The Years
His Holiness sends a message instructing the establishment of a Church in the Coptic Village area.
A hall is rented on James Cook Drive, Endeavour Hills, used as a Church every weekend for ~6 months.
The congregation chooses the name St. Mina and St. Marina.
The lower Church is completed.
His Grace Bishop Suriel celebrates the first Christmas Liturgy there.
The Church is adorned with Coptic icons by Ashraf Fayek.
St. Mina and St. Marina Church continues to flourish as a spiritual home for generations, rooted in the blessing and vision of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
